OPPO Find X2 Pro Review: rethinking your Samsung choices

Breaking the clutter and noise in the Asian markets is a brand that not only has its pulse on new mobile technologies but has also established itself as an emerging leader in the smartphone space. We are talking about OPPO and the embodiment of both these claims is evident in the new OPPO Find X2 Pro. On one hand, OPPO is progressive with super-fast charging capabilities, but then again it takes a back foot when it comes to wireless charging. It’s not available for this phone.

With a camera that helps you take some neat shots and an extremely competitive price point, are you willing to ignore the absence of the 3.5mm headphone jack and limited availability in the US markets? Perhaps no. But then again, the excellent performance of the phone and high display quality should help tip the scales.

The Design Angle

When it comes to the looks and design of this phone, OPPO fails to excite us, given that the form is very basic and average. The usual positioning of all the three cameras filed together in a straight line is anything but innovative. The front camera is found on the corner of the phone, and the finishing is akin to the “waterfall” curved edged screen.

What differentiates the phone is the variations available: two in all. Keeping with the current trend in materials, we got the orange, vegan leather-finished phone to review. It adds a touch of luxury to the phone, which is much better than getting a bedazzling, gems encrusted or hard metal covers for the phone.

The advantage of the leather-finished back is, of course, is the sturdy grip that it offers. A secure hold built-in is far more important than getting an obtrusive cover for the phone. On the flip side, you have to consider the fragility of the thin and light frame of this phone, and the use of a regular glass design. The second option on the phone is the black ceramic, silk finish iteration, and with IP68 ratings, OPPO has your back to some extent.

Specs and Performance

The OPPO Find X2 Pro brings in a lot of talking points when it comes to its premium-ness. We are talking about the inclusion of Snapdragon 865 with 5G support along with 12GB RAM (fastest LPDDR5 type out in the market), 512GB of fast UFS 3.0 storage. These impressive details sound surreal, and each one’s experience may differ – a disclaimer all gadget makers use, and so are we.

In our experience, we know that the performance of the phone deviates from the claims based on the apps we have on, and how you use the device. For example, the Find X2 Pro didn’t let us down when we multi-tasked and ran some productivity tasks at one go. The power and battery didn’t buckle down under the pressure and, in fact, we had some juice to spare. Like we mentioned before, if we have to nitpick then the absence of a headphone jack has to be it. Everything can’t be so picture-perfect, right!

A step in the right direction is the ability to free up space by being able to uninstall apps that were previously un-installable. It is impressive that to stay ahead of the game OPPO uses the latest version of ColorOS 7.1 based on Android 10. Hopefully, these specs will make the brand more accepted by the non-China Android audience, worldwide.

Display Done Right

We never imagined us saying this, but the Find X2 Pro’s screen holds its water when you compare it to an Apple or Samsung smartphone. Although the battery and cameras are the more notable attractions, the extremely bright panel and vibrant colors honor the capabilities of a 10-bit display. Said to be an “industry’s first”, the color blend in so smoothly that puts a strain on the regular 8-bit screens, which in comparison, have a smaller spectrum of colors to work with.

The Find X2 Pro boasts of 120Hz refresh rates and 240Hz touch sampling rates, and, in layman’s terms, this means we have seamless animations and responsive feedback. OPPO gives us the option to drain out the battery quickly thanks to the fastest 120Hz refresh rate and highest QHD+ resolution. It isn’t advised but the option is at least there.

Battery and Charging

Stepping up its game by giving us VOOC and SuperVOOC, OPPO now woos us with the 65W SuperVOOC 2.0, seen in the Find X2 Pro. To decode it for you, it simply means that you can top-up and fully charge your phone in 38 minutes. We tried this experiment at home, and with a few minutes here and there – and the use of a compatible OPPO charger and cable – the claim stands true.

The long-lasting battery life is mainly due to the 4,260 mAh battery pack, and if you use the phone sparingly in a day, you will manage to knock off only 20% of its total power. A heavy consumer like us – browsing incessantly, playing with multimedia, gaming, and taking pictures or videos for the better part of the day – leaves the battery drained up to 90%, which is not that bad.

Again, to nitpick, the fact that there is no wireless charging support, makes us question why OPPO will not include this basic necessity of premium phones. Leave aside the 30W wireless charging solution being worked upon, you will not find Qi technology support as well.

Cameras

With only three cameras aligned to the phone, the Find X2 Pro puts up a brave fight in front of the Samsung line up. The ace in the sleeve is the new, custom-made Sony IMX689, boasting of 48 million pixels, which can all be used as autofocus pixels. While the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G and its 100X Space Zoom is the talk of the town, the Find X2 Pro breaks its hype thanks to this new addition.

The Sony IMX689 or “All Pixel Omni-Directional AF”, as its commonly called, commands sharp focusing on the subject, although it may be moving or in unfavorable lighting. Supporting excellent exposure and minute detailing (especially in overcast weather), the camera takes pictures where the colors are accurate and realistic. We are not big fans of oversaturated pictures, hence the output of the Find X2 Pro appeals. And if you are the kind that likes soft, beauty-filter-esque images, then the output of the pictures will be just fine for you.

OPPO’s camera functions distinctly when using the zoom feature. It seamlessly switches between lenses, depending on the distance from the subject and how closer or farther you go from it. Commencing with the ultra-wide 48-megapixel camera, it transitions to the IMX689 wide camera at 1x, 2x, and 5x zoom. Soon enough the 13-megapixel periscope-style telephoto camera kicks in at the 10x hybrid zoom and goes up to 60x digital zoom.

Known to be a “Selfie Expert”, OPPO uses a 32-megapixel front camera with great results. The firmware OTA update has moved away from the beautification algorithm that gave us the “creamy soft faces.” You still have the beautification mode available, though, if that’s your thing.

Final Thoughts

Apart from the absence of wireless charging and an earphone jack, there not much you can say against the OPPO Find X2 Pro. It’s good enough to make the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra sweat. Covering its bases in the two critical areas of a smartphone – power and photography – the OPPO Find X2 Pro makes a good dent in the market. Priced at 6,999 RMB in China and 1,199 EUR in parts of Europe, it’s a shade better in pricing compared to the 512GB Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. Folks in the US, however, will have to bide their time for now.